Ohio Hospital Association releases report listing $1.8 billion for charity care

A report from the Ohio Hospital Association shows that its member institutions provided $1.8 billion in 2006 to fund charity care, community services, and losses from Medicaid. The totals shown in the report were based upon information from all but four of the 178 hospitals statewide. It illustates the value of services provided to meet community needs and for which medical facilities are not reimbursed. The $1.8 billion community benefit figure is 21% higher than the $1.5 billion recorded last year.]

The report does not include an additional $650 million in hospital losses for care provided through the Medicare program, and $561 million for bad debt. The report is modeled on the Catholic Health Association guide for collecting data. Also included in the $1.8 billion total was $650 million in losses through Medicaid, a program that provides health care to low income Ohioans. It reimburses hospitals 78 cents for every $1 spent providing outpatient care, and 96 cents for each inpatient. Another $868 million was for charity care, a term that refers to discounts provided for patients unable to pay. 

The report also showed that the cost for providing community activities was $899 million, covering direct costs not reimbursed by fees, grants, insurance or other sources. 
The report also showed:

Hospitals employed 181,500 persons full-time, including 6,700 employed physicians, and 70,600 part-time.

Admissions rose to 1.54 million in 2006, compared with 1.51 million the previous year.

Outpatient visits reached 32.6 million in 2006, up from 31.3 million in 2005.

Hospitals paid $13.5 billion in employee wages and benefits in 2006.

Four of Ohio’s top 10 employers are hospitals or health systems.

To view the complete report go to http://www.ohanet.org/benefit/report.pdf